Over-50

Working When Near 70: Actually, we get better at presenting ourselves

Thanks to Facebook, everyone in the world seemed to know that one week ago I turned 68.  There was a pile-on of cliches about aging.  I buried myself in bed, trying to sleep through it all, the way I used to sleep through my clinical depression in graduate school. 

But, the reality has been that the older I am getting the more contract assignments I am getting in executive communications and at a higher rate than in my middle age.  My hunch is that it's because I have gotten much better at how I present myself to prospects and interact with clients.

The eagerness to please has been toned down.  That transmits a message that I really do know my stuff, at least enough so that I don't have to sell my personality so much.  Another change has been that as we age we need less of the status symbols so we're not desperate for money.  About 12 years ago I owned a house as a primary residence and a cottage down the Jersey shore. I felt then like I needed that.  Currently I rent in affordable housing established for senior citizens.  The savings on heat, hot water, and electricity are wonderful. So, when I pitch for an account I'm more relaxed.  No, I don't need the money. The money would only be nice. 

Another advantage coming with aging is a thicker skin.  When criticism comes, I absorb it.  Therefore, my cover letters and resumes have gotten better through feedback. 

The only regret I have, at least this week, about aging is the reduced energy level.  I could once work non-stop for days and nights.  Now I need my zzzzzzzs.

The Job Hunt: You're more effective taking breaks, says coach Roxanne Hori

Job hunting - or for us self employed, hunting for assignments - is like training to run a race. 

That's what executive coach Roaxanne Hori opines in BLOOMBERG BUSINESS WEEK.  When training, no one runs all the time.  Instead, they give their muscles time to regenerate through breaks.  Also, I would like to add, they think about how they are approaching the race.  That reflection can make all the difference.

A non-stop search for work will burn us out.  We have to step away and renew our spirits.  Also we consider what we are doing and it seems to be panning out or not.  During the breaks we might make a decision to change course.

A break can be as simple and short as going out to a movie.   In the darkened theatre, the stress of the hunt falls away.

Unsolicited Resumes Have 47% Success Rate - So says Richard Bolles of "What Color Is Your Parachute?" Fame

Those of us Baby Boomers between jobs or assignments or not liking the ones we have want results when we go out there looking.  After all, we are experienced in The Hunt since there were 76 million of us chasing professional success.

Well, some things never change about The Hunt.  In his latest book "Job-Hunting Online," Richard Nelson Bolles (along with Mark Emery Bolles) tells us that sending out unsolicited resumes has a 43% success rate.  Bolles told us just about the same thing in the 1970s when he published his now-famous "What Color Is Your Parachute?"  It was by following that advice and snail mailing a strong cover and resume to corporations that I was able to make the leap from nonprofit to profit in the late 1970. 

One reason this method is so effective is because you are not competing with all the others who answer an ad.  Your letter is the only one in front of the hiring manager or the person who can assign a project.

Today, thanks to email, that doesn't even cost you a dime to send out, only sweat equity.  First you have to research the organization to identify the person to address the letter to.  Yes, there must be a real name.  If you are premium member of LinkedIn you can get help there.  You might locate someone in that general function and then ask who is responsible for hiring.  Another source is to go to the organization's websites and study the names about who would be appropriate to contact.  You can also call the organization and ask to be connected to the department and then find out who's in charge. 

Snail mail doesn't work as well as email in The Hunt.  It could get lost.  It could prove a nuisance for the manager to open.  It could send the message that you're not aligned with the digital era.

In your cover letter, start out with a statement about the organization which demonstrates you have done your research.  That could be a sentence or two.  Then introduce yourself.  Indicate how you can benefit the organization through your experience and skills.  Be detailed but brief.  Highlight, preferably with numbers and percentages, your track record of what you have accomplished for other organizations.  Say you are attaching a resume.  Ask for an interview.  If you don't hear anything in about two weeks, you can follow up with a call, providing updated information about yourself such as winning an award or achieving a 34% increase in sales.

Baby Boomer Search for Work: Do we need a "Narratizer?"

One serious mistake we Baby Boomers have made in our search for work - both conventional jobs and contract assignments - is not being strategic.  We left too much to chance.  Yeah, I guess we could think of our approach was relying too much on hope and investing too little in fresh thinking. 

Well, a fresh thinker has entered the employment picture.  He is Lee Gutkind, called by VANITY FAIR as the godfather of creative nonfiction.

He asks each of us hunting for work or positioning ourselves for a promotion while working:  Why aren't we creating and broadcasting our own unique individual stories? Betty White keeps doing that in her continuing saga as the biggest comeback in the 80+ crowd. Sally Field managed that in nailing down a part in the new film about Abraham Lincoln. Business executives Rupert Murdoch and Warren Buffett keep updating their accomplishments. 

Let's hear a few words from Mr. Gutkind. “This November showed once again that leaders, be they simply heads of families, politicos, managing partners at law firms, executives, or scientists, need a ‘Narratizer,’” insists Lee Gutkind, a global author and communications professor. His latest book is “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.”

That Narratizer shapes and distributes the leaders’ story as it will be told and retold by prospects, current clients, the media, followers, voters, investors, and funding sources. 

Instead of having his own story, Romney’s was crafted by his opponents as the out of touch rich guy. 

Brilliantly, by standing back, Hillary Clinton is having curious Americans be her Narratizers.  They are putting out there what her new story could be.

Hewlett-Packard is stuck without fresh material for a product story. 

Research programs can’t get funding because they don’t know how to capture and communicate the excitement in what they’re doing.

Mr. Gutkind is available for workshops for Baby Boomers searching for work.  You can schedule one with him at leegutkind@gmail.com.

In terms of the media, Mr. Gutkind welcomes providing on- and off-the-record background information and quotes, exclusive interviews, wraparound stories including access to sources, bylined op-eds, and meetings with editorial boards.

Among the topics the media might be interested are:

Chris Christie. Can he put together the kind of story which makes him the conservative must-run for 2016?

Comeback narratives.  What about those for struggling companies like Hewlett-Packard, fallen leaders like David Petraeus, and doomed research areas like alcoholism?

Boring.  Why that has become an international crime against humanity.

The media can reach Mr. Gutkind through his public relations agent Jane Genova, 203-468-8579, mgenova981@aol.com.  Complimentary copy of “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” available upon request.

 
 
 

 

 

Baby Boomers: Tell employers where we have the edge

Even when it comes to technology and social media jobs and assignments, we Baby Boomers do often have the edge.  But emplooyers and possible clients won't realize that unless we tell them.

I found that out when I applied for a part-time sales jobs for smartphones with AT&T.  I put in my cover letter and said in the phone screen that in the retail stores I would be an asset. That's because other Baby Boomers and getting long in the tooth members of Generation X would connect the dots: If she could master the smartphone, so could they.  I got the in-person 90 minute interview. 

I didn't get the job but I now had a new assignment hunting tool in my box.  I used it more recently for a part-time sales job for services involving social media.  In the cover letter, you bet, I highlighted how I have the edge over members of Generation Y.  I would understand the prospect's angst.  Within an hour I received an email back.  Tomorrow I have a phone screen. 

Making explicit that we are Baby Boomers and that there's a plus in that lets the prospect know that we know all about age bias.  That eliminates the concern, or at least some of it, that we are gonzo.

Ecommerce: More research, less opinion

Ecommerce or conducting business, including our search for jobs and clients, has gone mainstream.  That's what we know.   Because this keeps changing, the process is usually fraught with uncertainty. That generates high angst, especially among us over-50 who are digital immigrants.  Step number-one is to recognize, embrace, and then manage that fear.  Then we can proceed, as well as if not better than the digital natives.

One issue we are beginning to struggle with is this.  There's a shift on the web to more information.  In the early days of ecommerce, opinion - the stronger the better - dominated.  So many of us buttoned-down corporate types had plenty of fun ranting.  Deja vu the counterculture 1960s. That era has passed.  Those who keep opining keep losing ground.  Instead, there's a demand for information, with a side of insight derived from that data.  Raw opinion is not valued because we need to get a handle on what is developing in ecommerce.  That means research.

 
Developing a nose for where the information is

Where do we go for no-cost or low-cost research resources?  Well, plugging in keywords into search engines like Google won't get us very far.  Recently, I tried that with several client projects, ranging from a white paper on network-centric organizations to website content for educational tours in China. 

Here are suggestions:

Local library.  If you have a library card, the odds are excellent you can gain free access to their electronic databases.  In Connecticut, that resource provided all I needed for articles I am writing for my own byline on book covers in the era of e-books and what terms to use when referring in journalism or marketing communications to all the segments within the over-50 category.  A literature search on the search engines didn't turn up much.

Alma mater. The colleges and universities we graduated from usually give us access to their libraries and special collections through their alumni organizations.  For a little over $60, I can join the University of Michigan alumni association and use it to get into the databases.

Local academic institutions.  Four-year colleges/universities and community colleges often establish limited free community access to their libraries.  To find out which ones may be doing this, you can start asking about this at the reference desk of your local library.

Client/employer.  Frequently, clients and employers, even small ones, have established a relationship with libraries and think tanks.   They can provide you with their password.

Government databases.  As Wendy Boswell explains in an article this month, the government has plenty of information.  The problem is that much of that is located in what's known as the "deep web."  To "get in," we have to equip ourselves with navigation guides.  Boswell provides the common ones here.

Social Recruiting = Digital Personal Branding, Job Searching, New Biz Development

"Social recruiting"is the official term for branding ourselves and pursuing professional opportunities on the web and through mobile. 

 
The traditional business card has evolved into how we put ourselves out there on the web and through mobile.  The trick is developing a clear brand identity and leveraging it through platforms which are effective for us.

If we Baby Boomers aren't learning about that approach we are either rich already and don't need any more money or we have gotten into bad habits.  Among those bad habits would be passively applying to opportunities already posted online, networking solely at local and national trade associations, and telling  neighbors, oh, by the way, to let us know if they hear about any jobs or businesses which might need our services.

Because this tool is both relatively new and is, like technology, mutating always, we can leverage it in ways we feel most comfortable and rely on some platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter more than others such as Facebook and Google+.  We can also stay within the box of our expertise, such as if we are verbal or visual.  Regarding the latter, more marketing messages are being delivered via provocative graphic layout such as on Mashable, photos, and video. 

Okay, what are some of the emerging rules of this road now being more traveled?  Here they are:

 Be strategic, all the time.  Social media is like your family: it notices everything and it never forgets.  That means there is no place for spontaneous behavior.  Before we create our brand we have to figure out what messages we want it to send and for what commercial objectives.  Then stay in that box. 

In her new book "The Social Media Survival Guide for Political Campaigns," Sherrie A. Madia explains how even seasoned politicos confuse constituents about who they are and undermine their messaging when they impulsively tweet, post on a blog, or even create a video which isn't aligned with the overall strategy. 

Since politicos have to be ahead of the curve, analysing what they do right and wrong is the best briefing in social recruiting.  Both governors Chris Christie and Rick Perry got where they are and might even get to the White House by being 100% strategic in social media.

 

Divide and conquer.  We have to figure out what organizations, market segments, and individuals we want to have a conversation with.  Social recruiting is a niche game.  Once we determine that, for example, we need the attention of consumer-products companies and Pepsico in particular, then we create communications which will be picked up by them.  Just about everyone who is in business and wants to stay that way monitors what's being said about them digitally, even if it's just using Google Alerts. 

Those communications might be how we encountered and solved a problem which that entity could be struggling with.  I did just that on my two syndicated sites http://janegenova.com and http://lawandmore.typepad.com.  The subject was having leadership's opinion-editorials published in top-tier global media such as THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.  Three prospects, including a former official of the World Economic Forum, contacted me about my services.

Develop patience, with a side of persistence.  Relationships online, as in-person, take time to develop.  Fatal move to ask someone to join your LinkedIn network and then respond with a pitch.  A woman in web services did that to me and, of course, she's finished, at least in my circle of contacts.

Eventually, yes, ask others for help with your search, providing feedback on the script for your video, or briefing you about what their company looks for in a vendor.

Do favors.  Commercial activities operate on what's known as The Favor Bank.  Public relations guru Bob Dilenschneider brought that term mainstream in his 1990 book "Power and Influence."  In a sense, Dilenschneider gave business permission to accept and admit that favors were the glue which held the game together.  After all, participating in a particular favor bank signals other members that you will play by the group's rules. 

I discuss the dynamics of The Favor Bank in my interview with BLOOMBERG BUSINESS WEEK, which you can read here.  If you review someone's book, especially without being asked, or leave a carefully thought out comment on their site, that's a favor.  That person is in your debt.  Either you will be approached with some good thing or you are in a position of strength to ask.

Analyze.  Retrieve and study what others are doing in times of social recruiting.  Adopt what you determine are best practices, at least for now.

Job Search = Marketing, All Marketing Has Become Personal

Searching for a job or clients and customers in the current economy is anything but a routine, ritualized activity.  Agreed, it had been.  There had been formulas for applying for this.  At college and in outplacement the then experts laid out the formulas.

Currently, a search participates in many of the same marketing fundamentals as does positioning and packaging a low-calorie healthy beverage.  Then there's the new overlay, created by social media, that the pitch must be personal.  It's all about one human being talking with another human being.

So, what does that mean for cover letters, resumes, and guidelines for interviewing?  Here are just a few of the emerging oughts:

Customize.  Align as much as possible to the specific needs of the employer, customer, or client, the unique organizational culture, and how your particular skills, experience, and accomplishments will help them achieve their goals - more cost-efficiently and effectively than other applicants could.

Connect emotionally.  Did you father work for railroad?  Mention an anecdote if you are applying for an opportunity with MetroNorth.  You might be applying at March of Dimes.  So, of course, briefly discuss how your cousin's birth defect impacted the family.   We buy because of emotional reasons. 

Ask questions.  The universal sign that we are really listening is that we ask questions.  Those questions demonstrate to those with the power to hire that we are approaching this situation seriously, not just as yet another interview.

 
Pitching to get a job, client or customer is marketing.  Folks buy primarily for emotional reasons.  That means make your marketing reach inside them.

Great Performance Art Trumps Credentials

Way way back, when the labor market was stable, "What Color Is Your Parachute?" hammered the reality that the person who gets hired or gets the customer order is not necessarily the most qualified.  Who wins out is the person who is the most skilled [add "clever"] at going after jobs and new business.

In FORTUNE, career consultant Annie underscores that same point: It's all in how we present ourselves. 

 
 
 I call that "performance art."  No book and no coach can instruct us how to put together our stagecraft, ranging from what goes into the resume to how we comport ourselves on an interview. 

Here practice, as every artist knows, counts a lot.  The more we try out new approaches and improve those which seem to be effective, the better we become in producing the most important performance of our lives, at least during this global downturn.

Tip:  The definition of "insanity" is to continue doing what isn't working.  If our hunt for work isn't turning any up, then let's change what we are doing. 

Hospitality Industry: Hring based on Emotional Intelligence [EI]

The hospitality industry has jobs.  That's because it is a labor-intensive business with high turnover.  After all, it takes a person to greet guests and manage the first desk.

The opportunities range from selling two weeks in mini apartments in extended-stay motels to arranging travel tours to China.  Usually age matters less than the ability to demonstrate high emotional intelligence or a sincere interest in the customer.

How to demonstrate that in the resume and cover letter?  Provide examples of how you went the distance to figure out what a customer needed or wanted and then provided that service or product.  Emphasize good listening skills. 

Language is everything in how you present yourself on paper, in email, over the phone, and in-person.  You can pick up the language that dominates the hospitality industry by pouring over the help-wanted ads.  Notice what language occurs repeatedly.  Then make those terms part of your credentials.